HOMESTEAD VERIFICATION: Taxpayers have three months to return forms

October 5, 2012

COLUMBIA CITY â€” According to the Whitley County auditorâ€™s office, a list of taxpayers who still need to complete and return a Verification form to keep a Homestead filed on their primary property are viewable on the countyâ€™s website. The listing for Whitley County, which displays taxpayers who are receiving a Homestead Exemption, but who have not submitted the information required by the state, can be found at www.whitleygov.com.
â€śThe verification forms have been sent out, and there are only three more months to file the Homestead Verification with the Whitley County Auditorâ€™s office,â€ť said Whitley County Auditor Jennifer McGuire.
According to a press release, approximately 1900 Homesteads have yet to be verified in Whitley County, and Homestead verification paperwork must be received by Dec. 31 of this year, or the Homestead will be pulled from the property, which in turn, will cause an increase to the property tax on that parcel.
â€śThe information this requires is the last five digits of your Social Security and the last five digits of your Driverâ€™s license to verify primary residency in Whitley County,â€ť said McGuire.
McGuire asks Whitley County citizens to review the list and help notify citizens who are on it.
According to McGuire the form has been in the mail for the last three years to home owners through the state.
For more information on the process or other exemptions, contact the Whitley County Auditorâ€™s office at 248-3100 or wcauditor@whitleygov.com.